Outside Springs Junction Cafe and Motor Inn.

Fending Off Worker Exploitation: Insights from Springs Junction Cafe and Motor Inn

September 18th, 2023 - Barbara Buckett

Employment law and worker exploitation: A case study of Springs Junction Cafe and Motor Inn

Worker exploitation is a serious issue that violates minimum employment standards and harms vulnerable workers. A recent example of this is the case of Springs Junction Cafe and Motor Inn, a West Coast business that was fined for the second time for breaching multiple employment standards during the 2020 pandemic. The business and its director, Jerry Hohneck, failed to pay an employee minimum wage and holiday pay, and told the employee to stop recording their hours. The employee was also not given a written agreement about a reduction of hours and was only paid the wage subsidy that the business received from the government.

Spring’s Junction Café and Motor Inn based in South Island, and its director, must pay $36,000 in penalties after breaching multiple minimum employment standards during the pandemic in 2020. The firm was penalised for similar offences in 2016.
- MBIE Published: 05 September 2023

The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) found this to be a deliberate act of exploitation and imposed penalties of $36,000, of which $10,800 was awarded to the employee. The business also had to pay $33,165 in wage arrears to the employee. This was not the first time that the business had been penalised for similar offences. In 2016, it was penalised for not paying another employee who was claimed to be a 'volunteer' working for accommodation and food. The employee, who was on a student visa at the time, was also in a vulnerable situation. The ERA said that such practices are inexcusable and never justify exploitation.

These cases illustrate the importance of enforcing and complying with the minimum employment standards in New Zealand, which are designed to protect workers from exploitation and ensure fair and decent working conditions. Employers who breach these standards not only face legal consequences but also damage their reputation and trust with their customers and employees.

It is important that employees are aware of their rights and that if employees are concerned that their employer is not meeting the minimum employment standards they report their concerns to the labour inspectorate in the first instance.

Buckettlaw encourages employers to keep up to date with the current minimum standards and ensure that they are providing their employees with the minimum entitlements.

If your employment rights have been breached or you need legal advice, do not hesitate to contact Buckettlaw, your employment law experts.

Spring’s Junction Café fined a second time for employment breaches | Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

Enjoy a complimentary 10-minute phone call as a first-time offer.

Note:

BuckettLaw takes no responsibility for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of our articles. Any views expressed or comments made in an article are the writers option only. The content in our articles does not constitute legal advice. If you need legal or expert advice you should obtain specific advice about your case or matter from a professional. For legal advice based on your individual situation please contact us to speak with one of our expert lawyers.

Barbara Buckett

Barbara Buckett is a highly experienced senior employment lawyer with over 35 years of practice in New Zealand. She provides expert advice on all areas of employment law and has a proven track record of delivering excellent results for clients. Barbara has extensive experience in resolving workplace issues and is an experienced litigator. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, working out, and fine wine and dining with friends.

Get new posts delivered to your inbox

Never miss anything! The BuckettLaw team will keep you up to date with employment law news & legal updates.

More Reading...

Free Phone Call With Our Expert Employment Lawyers

We offer a 10 minute phone discussion to see how we can help with your employment enquiry.